Franklin Templeton Investments appoints Naganath Sundaresan as Head of Alternatives in India

New Delhi, 22 November 2017: Franklin Templeton Investments today announced the appointment of Naganath Sundaresan as the President and CIO of its alternatives business in India. Naganath will join the firm on November 23, 2017 and will be based at Franklin Templeton’s Mumbai offices. He will be responsible for introducing and growing the firm’s efforts in the alternatives space in the country and will report to Mat Gulley, Executive Vice President and Head of Alternatives at Franklin Templeton Investments.

Speaking on the appointment, Vivek Kudva – Managing Director, EMEA and India, Franklin Templeton Investments, said: “Assets in Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) have seen robust growth over the past few years amidst strong demand from high net worth individuals and family offices. Naganath is a highly regarded leader acknowledged by various industry stakeholders and peers for building a robust asset management business. We are delighted that he has chosen to join Franklin Templeton and look forward to establishing and growing our alternatives business in India under his leadership.”

Mat Gulley added: “Globally, investors are increasingly diversifying their portfolios to include alternative investments and India is no different. Franklin Templeton continues to build on the meaningful global presence it has created in the alternatives business and we are pleased to welcome Naganath to extend these capabilities to India.”

"I am delighted to lead the alternatives business for Franklin Templeton in India. The AIF industry has witnessed significant growth momentum in the past two years and I am confident that the best is yet to come. Franklin Templeton Alternatives plans to provide a wide selection of AIF products over time, to domestic as well as international investors," said Naganath.

Naganath brings with him, over 30 years of financial services experience and joins Franklin Templeton Investments from DSP Blackrock Investment Managers (DSPBR) where, as President and CIO, he led an experienced team of professionals to create a highly successful asset management business. He was instrumental in launching DSPBR’s alternatives business in 2014. Prior to joining DSP Blackrock, he has worked with Credit Suisse Asset Management in New York and Merrill Lynch Asset Management in Hong Kong.

Affluent investors in India have long been keen on exploring alternative investment options to diversify their portfolio. The SEBI initiative to introduce AIF Regulations in 2012 and the ongoing process by the Government to streamline taxation rules for such products have paved the way for AIFs gaining credence in the country. With Franklin Templeton’s strong global investment franchise, brand and distribution strengths, the firm is well positioned to capture significant market share in this burgeoning asset class.

About Franklin Templeton Investments

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the Company has expertise across all asset classes —including equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The Company’s more than 650 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in more than 30 countries, the California-based company has 70 years of investment experience and over $750 billion in assets under management as of October 31, 2017. For more information, please visit,http://ift.tt/1dR9rpk.